>>i used to make projects with several tables all in one database. regularly i would have problems with validation of databases for various reasons. it was solvable but my intervention was always necessary.
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>>recently i made a project using free tables instead of putting all into the database.
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>>i found no change in speed or the way i programed or in the way i used my SQL commnands.
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>>so my question is what is my advantage of using the database in the first place (other than being able to use more than 10 characters as a table name).
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>>i found using free tables a lot easier with more peace of mind.
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>Well Referential Integrity for a start (a BIG plus), business rules - embedded field validation, captions that come with each field when placed on a form, the ability to stipulate what control class goes with each field. IOW, you drag a field from a table list onto a form and it's there complete with class, a message when focused on, field validation, a default value if wished and RI.
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>Imagine you delete an Order rec, which has, in another table, a series of order lines. You can set RI rules to delete all those lines pertaining to the Order; Suppose you have a company Department rec, and go to delete the dept. RI can prevent you from doing so until you have reassigned all its employees to another dept.
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>All this you'd need to code in your form otherwise.
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>Oh, and tables in a dbc can have a primary index, not available with free tables. Its uniqueness is enforced by VFP for you.

Uniqueness can be enforced with candidate indices. (I still recommend database tables in most cases.)